Fence-post.



No. 798,945. PATENTED SEPT 5, 1905. T. BERNTSON.

FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY $1904. RENEWED MAB. 2,1905.

120/005 flew/X9022 UNITED STATE?) PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

A lic ti fil d May 3, 1904. Renewed March 2,1905. Serial No. 248,173.

To all whom/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I ,T'rioinxs BERNTSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful 1mprovements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fence-posts and analogous structures, and particularly to means for anchoring and holding a postin stable position with sufficient resistance to overcome ordinary strain or tension having a tendency to displace the same from upright position.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an anchoring or holding device in connection with the post which will not only prevent upward movement or withdrawal of the post from the ground when applied, but also serve as an obstructive means to prevent movement of the post from an upright position, the said anchoring means being readily applicable to and removable from the post.

A further object is to provide an anchor or holding means for a post of such contour that it will prevent rotation or twisting movement of the post as well as maintain the latter in upright position.

A still further object of the invent-ion is to provide asimple and effective anchoring means for a post of a cheap and durable nature.

\Vith these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a post, showing an anchoring or holding device thereon and embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the anchoring or holding device bent into shape for application to the post shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the anchoring or holding device is formed and showing by dotted lines the line of bending of the parts thereof. Fig. A is a plan view of a blank for an anchoring or holding device having a different shape and provided with an opening for application to a post having a different cross-sectional contour. Fig. 5 is a view of the anchoring or holding device similar to 3 and at and arranged for application to a post of cruciform shape in cross-section.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 4, and 5, the numeral 1 designates a metallic post which is T-shaped in cross-section or comprises a back flange or strip 2 with a central rightangular flange or strip 3 projecting therefrom. At intervals the flange 3 is formed with slots el, in which wire strands 5 are adapted to be inserted. The back flange 2 at a suitable distance above the lower end of the post is struck outwardly to form an inclined offset or limiting-crimp 10 in the margin of said flange, and this construction will be embodied in all the forms of post hereinafterexplained. Thisolfsetorcrimpisformcd or provided upon the post when the post is made or at any time priorto the engagement of the post with its anchor. By reason of the formation of the offset or crimp on the back flange 2, so as to project from the side thereof opposite to that from which the flange 3 projects, its action is to force the said flange 3 into firm end engagement within the slot of the anchor.

Figs. 2 and 3 show anchoring or holding means adapted for use with the form of post illustrated by Fig. 1 and consists of a square plate 11 with a T-shaped slot 12 through the center thereof, the corners of which plate are bent downwardly at right angles to the body thereof to provide depending guards or surrounding braces '13, which present points 1% to facilitate embedding the guards or braces in the ground in which the post is disposed. Instead of having a T-shaped slot 12 it will be understood that the said slot may be of any contour to receive and correspond to the contour of the post adapted to be inserted therethrough. This anchoring or holding means will be of such thickness as to give suflicient rigidity thereto to carry out the function it is intended to perform.

Figs. A and 5 show a triangular form of anchor or holding means 15, wherein the corners will be bent downwardly in a manner similar to the device shown by Fig. 2, and by this additional showing it is to be understood that any contour of anchoring or holding means may be used which is capable of having portions thereof bent downwardly to form guards or bracingflanges, but preferably to form the same from a blank which may be cut from the usual sheet without the formation of scrap and which when bent into completed form will present substantially the original form.

of the blank.

The slot 16 through the center of the anchoring or holding means shown by Fig. 4 is adapted to receive a four-flanged or cruciform-shaped post, and the slot 17 through the center of the anchoring means shown by Fig. 5 is of such contour as to receive a rightangular or two-flanged post. It will be understood, however, that the form of slot shown in the anchoring or holding means illustrated by Figs. 2 and 3 may replace either of those shown by Figs. 4 and 5.

In applying the anchoring or holding means it is slipped upwardly over the post from the lower end of the latter, and when the same reaches the inclined offset or crimp 10 further upward movement of such device will be prevented and downward pressure on the post against the resistance of the earth or ground in which the post is set will cause the anchoring means to forcefully bind on the post.

The anchor may be embedded or rest on the upper surface of the ground, as desired; but in either arrangement a strong resistance will be presented to the ready withdrawal of the post or the displacement of the latter from an upright position. withdrawal of the post will be stronger when the anchoring or holding means is embedded in the ground, as shown by Fig. 1, in view of the binding action set up by the oflfset or crimp 10.

As before stated, the offset or projection 10, which in the construction shown is produced by outwardly deflecting a portion of the post, is formed or provided upon the post when the post is made or at any time prior to the engagement of the post with its anchor. In certain of the appended claims I therefore describe as novel a post having a primarilyformed, rigid, inflexible, or unyielding offset or binding portion to lock the anchor theretothat is, a post having an offset or binding portion formed thereon or fixedly applied thereto at any time prior to its connection with the anchor and constituting a rigid part of the post-body in contradistinction to a structure in which the post and anchor are, after being assembled, indented to form a lock to fasten the same together or a structure having a resilient post binding by spring action or compression on the wall of an anchor. By thus forming the offset upon the post before it is connected with the anchor and making it rigid I am enabled to obtain a number of desirable and important advantages, among them the following: First, the cost of'making the'post is reduced, as the necessity of mak- The resistance to upward ing the-post of'spring metal is obviated, as

the slots t and offset 10 may be simultaneously formed'by the passage of the post through a suitable machine constructed for the purpose;

second,the anchor may be slipped upon the post or the post driven through the anchor,

as may be found most convenient under vary-v ing conditions without liability of an inc0m plete connection and without the necessity of flaring or otherwise specially shaping the post opening in the anchor or adjusting the parts for engagement or employing tools to form the look, as the parts of the fastening have a non-resilient self-locking action or automatically come into connection without expansion or contraction when brought into alinement by the movement of the anchor on the post or the passage of the post through the opening in the anchor, the offset, owing to its unyielding nature, biting into the wall of the opening during such movement; third, the binding, wedging, or looking action of the offset, while effective in primarily fastening the parts together, nevertheless releasably connects them, so that when the anchor is cemented or otherwise firmly embedded the post may be withdrawn when occasion requires and a new post substituted or the old post readjusted without disturbing the anchor, and, fourth, the offset forms the sole fastening, does not add in any way to the cost of the set-up post, and does not require the use of tools or labor beyond the ordinary labor of setting up the post to engage it with the anchor.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A post having an inclined offset on one side, and an anchoring device mounted on said post and locked thereon by said inclined off set.

2. A flanged post having an integral inclined offset or projection, and an anchor having openings therein corresponding to the shape of the post, and adapted to be placed on the post and locked thereon by means of the said offset or projection.

3. An anchoring device for a post formed from a blank having angular portions thereof bent downwardly to provide brace-flanges, the original contour of the blank being preserved after the flanges are bent.

4. A post having a primarily-formed rigid or inflexible binding portion to engage and secure it to an anchor.

5. A post having a primarily-formed rigid or inflexible binding offset to engage and secure it to an anchor.

6. A post having a primarily-formed deflected rigid or inflexible binding portion to engage and secure it to an anchor.

7 A post having an anchor-holding portion adapted to be brought into wedging engagement with an anchor to secure the latter thereto, said portion being primarily formed or prothereto, said binding portion being brought vided upon the post to adapt it for unyielding self-locking connection with the anchor when the post and anchor are assembled or brought together.

8. An anchor havingan opening therein and a post adapted to be driven through the opening in the anchor and provided with an unyielding binding-surface brought into wec ging engagement with the wall of the opening by the driving action.

9. Means for anchoring and securing fenceposts, comprising a post member, an anchor member adapted to be fitted thereon, said post member being provided with a rigid or inflexible binding portion primarily formed or provided thereon to engage and secure the anchor into operative relation by movement of one l member relative to or upon the other member.

10. The combination with an anchor having an aperture therein, of a post having an unyielding binding portion to seat within and engage the wall of the aperture, whereby the anchor is fastened to the post.

11. A post, an anchor provided with an opening whereby it may be fitted on the post, i and an inflexible or unyielding wedging porl tion on the post operative to bind the post I against the wall of the opening when the post and anchor are fitted together.

12'. In combination with a metallic fencepost having a crimp formed in the margin thereof and intermediate its ends, of an anchor-plate having a slot to receive the post and cause its crimp to bind it therein.

13. In combination with a metallic fencepost formed of two or more angularly-arranged strips, and provided with a marginal crimp intermediate its ends, of an anchor-plate having a slot to receive the post and cause its crimp to bind it therein.

1 L. In combination with a metallic fencepost formed of two or more angularly-arranged strips, one of said strips having a laterally projecting portion intermediate its ends and on the side opposite to that from which the other strip projects, of an anchorplate having a slot to receive the post and cause said projection to come into binding engagement within the same.

In testimony whereof I al'tix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS BERNTSON.

Witnesses:

KATHERINE ALLEN, GEORGE M. Bonn. 

